Paint It Black

Chapter Eleven

Louis ducked under the Japanese lanterns and joined Wainwright and Dodie out on the lawn by the barbecue. Dodie was turning pieces of chicken. The sauce sizzled onto the coals, sending magnificent smells into the evening air.

Wainwright nudged Louis. “Can he cook?”

“I don’t know. Only food he ever offered me in Mississippi was a bowl of crawfish.”

Dodie glanced at him. “I never told you this, Louis, but you’re not suppose to eat the heads.”

Louis smiled. “I know that. Now.”

Wainwright looked confused and Dodie told the tale of how Louis bit off the head of a crawfish.

“Trying to impress me, he was,” Dodie said. “Well, better let this bird bake a few. Let’s go pop open some brews.”

They retreated to the patio and sat watching the sky darken, listening to the evening’s overture of frogs and crickets. Margaret came out, glanced at the three men, then went over to check the chicken.

“I just turned it, Margie.”

Margaret turned it again, then disappeared back into the house. Louis watched Dodie’s eyes as they followed her round body with open affection.

Wainwright sat forward in his chair. “Louis, you see this morning’s News-Press?”

Louis nodded.

“They’re calling it a racially motivated crime. A fucking anonymous source in the sheriff’s department,” Wainwright said. “Someone leaked it on purpose. They knew the reporter would jump on it.”

“But why would someone inside leak it?” Dodie asked.

“To put the screws on me, Sam,” Wainwright said. “Mobley wants the case and he knows if there’s enough pressure, I’ll have to give it to them.”

“That kind of talk is only gonna make everyone nervous,” Dodie said quietly.

“Just black men,” Louis said, taking a sip of beer.

“Well, do y’all believe that’s what it is?” Dodie asked.

Louis glanced at Wainwright, but he didn’t seem inclined to answer. “Racially motivated crimes are usually messages,” Louis said. “The offender is sending a message to a certain group that they are. . unwelcome. The crimes are usually generalized and not normally filled with such rage.”

Wainwright was nodding. “Which is why I don’t think these murders fit. They seem personal somehow. My money’s still on Levon.”

“But you haven’t found any connection between the two men, have you?” Dodie asked.

“Just their race,” Wainwright said.

Louis hesitated. “It’s got to be more,” he said. “I think Tatum and Quick are connected, but only in the killer’s mind. They are symbols.”

“Of what?” Dodie asked.

“I don’t know. Maybe they are symbolic threats. Maybe the killer believes black men are taking something away from him, usurping his place.”

Margaret came back out and the three men remained silent while she gathered up empty beer bottles. When she was gone, Dodie spoke.

“How does this Levon fit in then?”

“I’m not so sure he does,” Louis said.

Wainwright took a drink of beer. “Well, I’m not ready to give up on Levon yet. He’s fucked up in the head. He’s capable of murder.”

“Levon doesn’t have motive. The why just isn’t there,” Louis countered.

Margaret came out onto the patio. “Sam, I’m almost ready in here. You keeping an eye on those birds?”

Dodie got up reluctantly and trudged out to the barbecue. Margaret went back inside.

“He wants to be included,” Wainwright said quietly, nodding after Dodie.

“I know,” Louis said. “I don’t know how much to tell him.”

“Have you told him about the details, like the black paint?”

Louis nodded. “But I explained that we’re keeping that from the press as a control.”

Wainwright nodded. They were silent for a moment.

“You know,” Louis said, “we have to consider the possibility that we have two perps.”

“We don’t have any evidence to indicate that.”

“We don’t have evidence to the contrary either,” Louis said. “The rain messed up the Tatum scene. And there was nothing at the overlook to say one way or the other.”

“The stab wounds are consistent with one killer. Same angle, same knife.”

Louis shook his head slowly. “That doesn’t mean someone else didn’t help. Most hate crimes aren’t committed by individuals. It’s usually a couple guys together.”

Wainwright gave a grunt and drained his beer. Dodie came back onto the patio.

“Couple of guys what?” Dodie asked, sitting down.

“Hate crimes,” Louis said. “It’s usually a group effort.”

“He’s right, Dan,” Dodie said. “These types are cowards and need to gather up their courage in packs. I mean, if I was you, I’d be looking for somebody with a hard-on toward black folk with a couple of buddies to help him out.”

“You got anybody like that around here?” Louis asked Wainwright.

Wainwright leaned back in the lawn chair. “A couple months ago, I arrested a guy named Van Slate.”

“What for?”

“He and two friends almost beat a black guy to death. It started at the Lob Lolly over on Pine Island. The black guy was with a white girl and Van Slate was shit-faced and made some remarks. They followed the couple out of the bar, tailed them back here, forced them off the road, and whaled on him.”

“Does Van Slate have a record other than this?” Louis asked.

“No, but he’s a hothead.”

“He lives here on Sereno?”

Wainwright nodded. “His father owns a big boatyard here on the key, and he’s had enough pull in the past to keep his kid out of jail.”

“I still can’t believe whoever killed these two men is living right here among us,” Dodie said quietly.

“Sam, you had killers living right next to you in Black Pool,” Louis said.

Dodie looked at his beer. “True enough.”

The crickets had stopped. It was quiet until a fish jumped out in the canal.

“Have you noticed the dates?” Wainwright said finally.

“What dates?” Dodie asked.

“Tatum was killed on Tuesday, March first. Quick was found on Thursday, nine days later, and the doc says he was in the water about two days.”

“Could be just a coincidence,” Louis said.

“Could be Tuesday’s the killer’s day off from his regular job,” Dodie interjected. “If he has one.”

Louis looked at him. “Well, Tuesday is three days away,” he said.

Wainwright drained his beer and sat forward. “Okay, this is what we’re going to do,” he said. “Louis, you check out Van Slate. We’ll put twenty-four-hour surveillance on the causeway to check every suspicious vehicle. If anyone sees anything, he’ll radio me to do a stop.”

“We don’t have the manpower,” Louis said.

“Chief Horton over in Fort Myers is a friend of mine and might lend some uniforms,” Wainwright said. “And I know my guys will do what it takes on our end.”

“I’ll pull a shift, Dan,” Dodie said quickly.

Wainwright paused and glanced at Louis. “Sure, I’ll fit you in, Sam.”

Wainwright pulled out his notebook and began to draw a diagram of the causeway and key. “Okay, we’ve got the Sereno Key causeway with two lanes going into the town center and-”

Margaret came back out carrying a platter. Wainwright fell silent. The three men looked up at her.

She gave them a stern look, then went out to get the chicken off the grill. She came back onto the patio, holding the platter, and paused, looking at them.

“You’d think y’all were CIA or something,” she said. “It’s not like I don’t know anything. I read the paper. I watch Hill Street Blues.”

Louis glanced at Wainwright, who lowered his head. Dodie sat very still. The silence lengthened.

Louis looked up at Margaret. “So, you think Furillo and Joyce will ever get married?” he asked.

Margaret smiled. “Yes, I do, and if y’all would get your butts inside to supper, I’ll tell you why.”

She went in. Louis glanced at Dodie, who looked mildly embarrassed. He looked at Wainwright. He was gripping his beer bottle, staring out at the black canal beyond, his face tight in the spare light of the Japanese lanterns.